BIOGRAPHY
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GOLDBERG VARIATIONS
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The Herald Scotland
The Herald Scotland
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“[SE] were sensational in the best performance I have ever heard them deliver, at home or away, in a concert that just about took the roof off the Queen’s Hall, had listeners hollering and hooting, stamping and shouting with elation.”
The Scottish Ensemble made waves across the US when we brought them on their debut tour with Alison Balsom. We're delighted to introduce their next project, NEW for 2018-2019.
North American Tour April 2019
GOLDBERG
VARIATIONS
ternary patterns for insomnia
11 MUSICIANS. 5 DANCERS.
A NEW INTERPRETATION OF J.S. BACH'S MASTERPIECE
“A revelation on several levels...Please, everyone, play it again. Soon.””
Goldberg Variations - ternary patterns for insomnia is a new collaboration between Glasgow-based string orchestra Scottish Ensemble and Stockholm-based contemporary dance company Andersson Dance.
The performance features 11 musicians and 5 dancers choreographed together as one to create a new, 21st-century interpretation of J.S. Bach's Goldberg Variations.
Following performances across the UK and Sweden throughout 2015/16, the Scottish Ensemble and Andersson Dance continues to tour the project around the globe and projects a North and South American tour for the 2018-19 season. The unique choreography brings dancers and virtuoso musicians together on stage in a playful, engaging and contemporary take on a musical masterpiece. This collaboration builds on Scottish Ensemble's reputation for vibrant, energetic performances together with an ambitious and highly flexible approach to everything they do. Exciting opportunities for interaction in both the dance and music world can be an integral part of bringing this extraordinary project to your community.
In conjunction with the above program the Scottish Ensemble will also tour with this Companion Program for Orchestra:
"Three Parts Bach"
Pärt Fratres
Bach Violin Concerto in A minor, BWV 1041
Bach Chorale: "Wenn wir in höchsten Nöten sein" (from Art of Fugue, BWV 1080)
Gubaidulina Meditation on the Bach Chorale 'Vor deinen Thron tret ich hier mit'
Bach Concerto for Two Violins in D minor, BWV 1043
Pärt Collage über Bach – Toccata
Bach Contrapunctus XIX (from Art of Fugue, BWV 1080)
Pärt Summa
Bach Brandenburg Concerto No. 3
JS Bach selections ring out next to music by Arvo Pärt and Sofia Gubaidulina: fantastical sound worlds which weave a soundtrack that is both inspiring and moving
ABOUT THE SCOTTISH ENSEMBLE
Versatile, enterprising and ambitious, the Scottish Ensemble is a tight-knit band of outstanding string players who perform under Artistic Director Jonathan Morton. Founded in 1969 and based in Glasgow, the ensemble is the UK’s only professional string orchestra.
Their distinctive programming style habitually blends music from different ages offering new perspectives and making unexpected connections. Their SE Sessions concerts showcase the individual players of the ensemble in a relaxed, informal setting. In solo performances or in small groups, players share some of their favorite short works for their instrument, not necessarily in a classical style. In their 20th-Century Perspectives: City Spaces & Strings collaboration with internationally renowned visual artist Toby Paterson, they present an ambitious cross-artform collaboration connecting 20th-century music and architecture with contemporary art.
Committed to developing the string repertoire, the Ensemble regularly seeks out unusual pieces and new works. Commissions from John Tavener, James MacMillan, Sally Beamish, David Horne, John Woolrich, Craig Armstrong, Steve Martland and Thea Musgrave have enriched their concerts in recent years. The Ensemble’s extensive recording catalogue includes EMI Classics’ top-selling CD of 2010: Italian Concertos with Alison Balsom.
The Ensemble appears regularly at London's Wigmore Hall and has performed at the BBC Proms and St. Magnus, and the Aldeburgh and Edinburgh International Festivals. Internationally, it has toured to Austria, Brussels, China, France, Germany, Turkey and United States. As one of Creative Scotland’s Foundation Organizations, the Scottish Ensemble is proud to contribute to Scotland’s cultural status and creative identity.